After 5 years’ efforts, Yuli (Chongqing-Lichuan) Railway is to have coordination and test at the beginning of this month, making final preparation for commercial operation. According to information from Chengdu Railway Bureau yesterday, the coordination and test will be finished soon and the railway will open to traffic at the end of this year. Xiao Wenhui, Director of Lichuan Railway Office, said that after Yuli Railway opens to traffic, it will only take 2 hours from Enshi to Chongqing and 4 hours from Yichang to Chongqing, calculated by railway mileage.

　　As one horizontal line of the “Four Longitudinal Lines & Four Horizontal Lines” in China High-speed Railway Network and an important part of Hu-Han-Rong Railway, Yuli Railway begins from Lichuan, Hubei Province and connects Liangwu Station of Yiwan Railway. Passing Shizhu County, Fengdu County, Fuling District, Changshou District and Jiangbei District from the west, it ends in the North Railway Station of Chongqing. The 264 kilometers railway is to serve as a passenger train mainly at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour with a double line of national railway first class track. The construction began in December 29, 2008 and completed in June 29, 2013, costing 27.1 billion RMB.

　　According to Lichuan Net, Yuli Railway has entered the phase of the coordination and test at present. Technicians will have a complete assessment, coordination of the railway and improve the security of the facility, testing the reliability of the monitoring system and the applicability of the service system to ensure the overall function of Yuli Railway to meet the needs of operation. Last week it only took Jing Shiming, Deputy Director of Chengdu Railway Bureau, 80 minutes from Chongqing to Lichuan by the bullet train.

　　After Yuli Railway is put into operation, people can take a non-stop train to Shanghai from Chongqing, passing Yiwan Railway, Hanyi Railway, Hewu Railway, Hening Railway, Huning Railway to the east, forming a convenient and fast railway transportation passage between cities like Chongqing, Fuling, Enshi, Yichang,Wuhan, Macheng, Hefei, Nanjing, Wuxi, Shanghai, etc.. Meanwhile, it will connect the truck road of Jingguang High-speed Railway, Jinghu High-speed Railway and coastal railways, improving the communication among southwest areas, central areas, Yangtze River Delta Area, Pearl River Delta Area and Bohai Region, providing a solid foundation for development in central and western regions of China.

　　(Reported by Wang Suzhi, Liu Honghao from Enshi Daily)